Caroline slammed the restaurant door shut, the sound echoing in the quiet night like a gunshot. "Human, human," she hissed, the word feeling like acid on her tongue. How could she? How could Maralyn, her supposed best friend, carve out her heart like this? After all these years, after shared secrets whispered under bed sheets, after surviving the rollercoaster of life together, she’d just...thrown her to the wolves."Human, human," she repeated, her voice cracking with rising frustration. She could feel the anger, a hot, molten rage, building inside her. She needed to escape, to flee this suffocating betrayal, this small-minded city that seemed to be closing in on her. Out of this restaurant, out of this heartless place where friendships meant nothing, out of the clutches of a heartless, manipulative…human.She felt numb, the betrayal stinging like a fresh wound. A wound so deep, it felt like she'd lost a part of herself. Her friendship with Maralyn, a bond she'd believed unbreakable
Caroline looked at the crumpled letter in her hand, the words now a blur of ink and emotion. She thought of Jeffrey, the man she had once loved with all her heart, the man who had betrayed her trust and left her feeling worthless. And then, she thought of Ancelotti, the man who had come into her life unexpectedly, offering her kindness, laughter, and a genuine sense of belonging.She picked up her pen, her hand trembling slightly. She started writing, the words flowing onto the page as if they had been waiting to be released.“Jeffrey,” she wrote, “I read your letter. And yes, I did feel something for a second. But it was not forgiveness or compassion. It was pure frustration. I have made my decision and nothing will change that. My anger was blinding me.”She paused, taking a deep breath. It was difficult to articulate the tangled mess of feelings swirling inside her, but she knew she needed to be honest, both with Jeffrey and with herself.“You say you were scared,” she continued,
Caroline’s jaw tightened. The thought of Jeffrey, his smug face, the way he’d discarded her… it all fueled the fire in her chest. "I'm going to make him know pain," she hissed, her voice low and dangerous. "I want him crawling, begging me in public. And when he does? He’s getting a full bottle of sparkling wine to the face, followed by a slap so hard his cheeks will be burning red for days!" Jane chuckled darkly. "Now that's the Caroline I know. Don’t forget to film it for us all to see!"Caroline’s anger began to morph into something more focused, more controlled. "I need to get this DNA test done." She said with a sigh. It was almost comical to think that after all the things she's gone through, she'd still need to verify her blood line. The nerve of it all!Jane nodded, a knowing glint in her eyes. "Good, once the test has been done and the result is out, no one can question you anymore.Caroline shot a look at her friend. "I know right?" She then began to analyze her thoughts. "B
Caroline pushed the front door open, kicking her shoes off as she stepped into the house. The smell of Jane’s tea filled the air, a comforting scent that always made her feel at ease. She dropped her bag by the door and walked into the living room, where Jane was sitting on the couch, scrolling through her phone. "Finally home?" Jane asked, looking up with a small smile. "Yeah," Caroline replied with a tired sigh as she slumped onto the couch beside her. "It’s been such a long day. I feel like I’ve been running around all day for nothing." Jane chuckled. "That’s life, isn’t it? How are the kids?" Caroline perked up a bit at the mention of her children. "They’re okay, I think. How are they doing at school?" "They’re fine," Jane said, setting her phone down. "Busy with classes and friends, but they’re excited about the holidays. They’ll be home soon for the break." Caroline nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. She loved her kids more than anything and couldn’t wait to
Caroline stiffened, gripping the doorframe. She hadn’t seen Maralyn in months, not since the betrayal that had shaken their friendship to its core. "Caroline," Maralyn said softly, her voice trembling. "Please, can we talk?" Caroline’s jaw tightened. "Maralyn, what are you doing here?" "I needed to see you," Maralyn said, taking a tentative step forward. "I’ve been trying to reach you, but you keep ignoring me. This is the third time I’ve come here, and I—" "Because I have nothing to say to you," Caroline cut her off, her tone icy. Maralyn flinched, but she didn’t move. "I know I hurt you. I know I messed up. But Caroline, I need you to hear me out. Please." Agnes appeared behind Caroline, her expression wary. "Is everything okay?" Caroline glanced back at Agnes, then turned her attention to Maralyn. Her chest tightened. She didn’t want to relive the pain of what had happened, but seeing Maralyn standing there, looking so desperate, made her hesitate. "You have five mi
By late afternoon, Caroline began preparing for the evening. She stood in front of her wardrobe, pulling out dress after dress, trying to find the perfect one. She finally settled on a knee-length navy blue dress that hugged her figure without being too flashy. It was simple yet elegant, just what she wanted. After doing her hair and makeup, she stood in front of the mirror, giving herself a final once-over. She barely recognized the woman staring back at her. It had been so long since she’d made an effort like this, and it felt good—like she was reclaiming a piece of herself. As the clock ticked closer to her date, Caroline grabbed a small clutch and slipped on her heels. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. ---Meanwhile, back at Jane’s house, Granny had started to notice Caroline’s absence. "Where’s that girl?" Granny asked, looking around the living room. "She’s usually back by now." "She said she went to her house," Jane replied, flipping through her book.
As she drove back to her Grandma's house, her mind was racing. The evening had been more than she’d hoped for, and for the first time in a long while, she felt like she was moving toward something good. But as she parked her car and walked toward the house, she noticed the curtains twitching. Jane and Granny had been waiting. Granny was sitting in her favorite armchair when Caroline tiptoed into the house, hoping to slip past unnoticed. But Granny’s sharp eyes caught her instantly. “Caroline,” Granny said firmly, her voice carrying the weight of authority. “Where are you coming from?” Caroline froze, gripping the strap of her purse tightly. “Uh… I was just… um…” Granny raised an eyebrow, waiting patiently. Jane, sitting on the couch with a smirk, chimed in, “She’s coming from a date with Ancelotti.” Granny’s expression shifted from suspicion to curiosity. “Ohhh, so I was right. And here I thought you were lying about going to your house.” Caroline’s face turned bright r
When Maralyn stormed into her house, the door slammed so hard it rattled the frame. Her heels clicked loudly against the floor as she stomped into the living room, muttering angrily to herself. "Unbelievable! Who does she think she is?!" she yelled, throwing her purse onto the couch. It missed and hit the floor with a loud thud, but she didn’t care. She marched over to the coffee table and swept everything off it with one furious motion—magazines, an old mug, and a small vase all crashed to the floor. Pieces scattered everywhere, but Maralyn didn’t stop. She grabbed a pillow from the couch and flung it across the room, hitting the wall with a dull thump. “Stupid, stupid Caroline!” she shouted, pacing back and forth like a caged animal. Her hands flew to her hair, tugging at it in frustration. At one point, she yanked a picture frame off the wall. It was an old photo of her and Caroline, back when they used to be friends. She glared at it for a moment before hurling it to the
We packed up everything – the USB drive, the metal box, the photos, and the weird envelope with the symbol.It was like we were getting ready for some kind of covert operation. I even found an old backpack of my brother's that was totally black and looked like something a spy would use.I grabbed my flashlight again, and Jane insisted on bringing a bag of gummy bears, "for emergency energy," she said. I secretly thought she just really liked gummy bears.We met Jake at the park, near the old gazebo. He looked super freaked out, like he hadn't slept all night. His hair was all messy, and he kept looking around, like he expected Dr. Albright to pop out from behind a tree.He was a good friend of Jeffrey’s, he kept telling us he knew they had to do something, and that he wished he had noticed that something was going on. I could see that he was upset."Okay, show me everything," he said, his voice all shaky. I handed him the USB drive and the photos, and he started looking through them,
The files on the USB drive were a mess. Like, seriously disorganized. There were Word documents with weird titles like "Project Nightingale" and "Operation Sunset," a bunch of photos of random places I didn’t recognize, and a couple of video files with names like "Meeting 1" and "Meeting 2." It was like Jeffrey was trying to make his own spy movie.“Okay, let’s start with the documents,” I said, clicking on "Project Nightingale." A Word file opened up, filled with super technical stuff about some kind of… well, I wasn’t totally sure what it was, but it involved weird chemical formulas and codes. It looked like something out of a science fiction movie.“Ugh, this is boring,” Jane groaned, tapping her pen on her notebook. “Is this all about science? Where’s the action?”I scrolled through it quickly. It mentioned something about "a new compound," "enhanced performance," and "high-risk investment." That’s when I saw a name, hidden in a paragraph: "Dr. Albright." The name sounded vaguely
My heart practically jumped out of my chest and started tap-dancing. Someone was definitely outside the door, and it was not Jeffrey. We had to think fast. Jane dove behind the overflowing laundry hamper, almost knocking over a stack of dirty socks.I quickly shoved the metal box under the bed, hoping no one would look there. I grabbed the USB drive and shoved it into my back pocket, making sure it wouldn’t fall out if I moved around.The keys jingled again, and this time, the door started to open. I scrambled behind the bookcase, trying to make myself as small as possible. I could see the front of the door from the small gap behind the books. It creaked open slowly, and a man walked in. But it wasn't just any man. It was Detective Rourke!My stomach did a triple flip. What was he doing here? Had he followed us? Did he know we broke in? I held my breath, trying not to make a sound. He stepped inside, his face all serious and… I don’t know, kind of tired looking. He didn’t seem to noti
The police dudes were gone, finally! But the noise outside was even worse now. Those reporters were like a pack of wild dogs, barking questions about me. "Is Miss Caroline a suspect?" they yelled. "Did she hire a hitman?" Ugh, it was like a really bad soap opera. I pressed my head against the door, trying to block out the sound of them saying my name with that nasty, suspicious tone."I didn't do this," I whispered, tears dripping onto the wood. I felt like I was starring in some horrible crime movie, and everyone thought I was the bad guy! Even those detectives, Rourke and Lane, looked at me like they didn't believe a word I said. Like, hello, I used to babysit kids, not plan murders!I needed to prove I was innocent, pronto. I couldn't just sit here and wait for everyone to decide I was a criminal. I had to find the real shooter. Like in a Nancy Drew book, but way scarier.Then, my phone buzzed. It was Jake, Jeffrey’s friend. He picked up right away. "Any news?" he said, his voice a
Caroline tightened her grip on the steering wheel, her heart hammering against her ribs. The city lights flickered past, blurring as she sped through the near-empty streets. Jane sat beside her, arms folded, her face set in a skeptical frown."Jane, this isn’t normal," Caroline said, her voice quieter now. "Detective Rourke wouldn’t be here unless something was seriously wrong."Jane shifted in her seat, sighing. "Okay, but what does that mean? That Jeffrey just… vanished? That someone took him?"Caroline swallowed hard. "I don’t know. But I do know that if the police are looking at me, I need to figure out what really happened—before they decide I did something I didn’t."Jane exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples. "This whole thing is insane. First, Rourke ambushes you at your own house, now Jeffrey’s missing? And let’s not even talk about Maria stirring up trouble. You know she’s behind all this, right?"Caroline clenched her jaw. "I wouldn’t be surprised."Maria had been a thorn in
Caroline paced the living room, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. "Jane, we need to go. Jeffrey hasn’t answered any of my calls today. This isn’t like him."Jane, lounging on the couch with her legs crossed, glanced up with a tired sigh. "Caroline, maybe he’s just busy. It’s late, and I’m exhausted. Can’t this wait until tomorrow?""No, it can’t," Caroline said firmly, her voice edged with worry. "Jeffrey doesn’t just ignore us like this. What if something’s wrong? What if he needs help?"Jane groaned, stretching her arms over her head. "Fine. But if we’re going, you’re driving. I don’t have the energy for this.""Deal," Caroline said quickly, grabbing the car keys from the coffee table. She was already at the door before Jane could protest further.Outside, the night air was crisp, and the neighborhood was silent except for the faint hum of streetlights. Caroline unlocked the car and slid into the driver’s seat while Jane reluctantly climbed into the passenger seat.As Caroline
Caroline paced the length of her bedroom, her phone pressed tightly against her ear. The line rang endlessly, each unanswered tone slicing through her already frazzled nerves. She had called Jeffrey five times now, and still, there was no response.Her heels clicked sharply against the hardwood floor as she made her way to the window, peering out at the quiet street below. She tapped the phone to her palm and let out a frustrated sigh. “Jeffrey, pick up,” she muttered under her breath, dialing his number again.When it went straight to voicemail this time, her heart sank. “Why aren’t you answering?” she said aloud, gripping the phone so tightly her knuckles turned white. “Is it because of Maria? Did she—” She stopped herself mid-sentence, shaking her head.Turning away from the window, she began pacing again, her mind racing with possibilities. What if something’s happened? she thought, her chest tightening. What if he’s worse than they said?The room felt suffocating. She threw her p
Jeffrey was lying in his hospital bed, his face pale and drawn from the ordeal of surgery. The sterile smell of antiseptic filled the private room, and the steady beeping of monitors was the only sound accompanying his shallow breathing.He had been in and out of consciousness, recovering slowly, and his thoughts drifted aimlessly between pain and the surreal feeling of helplessness.The door opened quietly, and Maria, his new wife, walked in. She was dressed impeccably in a tailored designer suit, her high heels clicking softly against the tiled floor.Her demeanor was composed, her face set in an expression of forced concern, but there was a sharpness in her eyes that betrayed her true nature. Maria carried herself with the kind of authority that demanded obedience—like a queen entering her court.The two guards she had stationed outside stepped aside reluctantly as she ordered, “Stay here. I need privacy with my husband.” Her tone brooked no argument.Inside, Maria sat down beside
Caroline stood at the edge of the docks, her arms crossed tightly against the biting night air. The faint sound of waves lapping against the pylons did nothing to soothe her nerves. She could feel the weight of everything she’d endured pressing down on her like a stone, and the soft hum of approaching headlights brought a fresh wave of tension.Ancelotti stood nearby, leaning against the hood of a sleek black car, a glass of whiskey in hand. Marco, ever vigilant, was close by, his sharp eyes scanning the dark streets for any signs of trouble. The three of them had been through so much together, yet the heaviness in the air tonight was different.“I’m not surprised Maralyn kidnapped my twins,” Caroline finally said, her voice quiet but unwavering. The words seemed to echo in the stillness, carrying a sharp edge that made Ancelotti glance at her.He raised an eyebrow, his usually impassive face softening with curiosity. “Your twins? What does Maralyn have against them?”Caroline let out